The present invention relates to a mountable discharge pipe for an end muffler of a motor vehicle, as well as to the end muffler for the motor vehicle itself.
An air-gap-insulated end pipe for an exhaust pipe of an exhaust system is known from German Patent Document DE 199 14 426 A1. The end pipe is pushed, with a plug-type fit, onto the exhaust pipe, and secured by way of a screwed connection. In order to avoid tarnishing of the double-walled end pipe as a result of thermal linking to the exhaust pipe, additional measures, for example air inlet openings for increasing a cooling effect in the end pipe, are provided.
It is one object of the invention to improve linking of a mountable discharge pipe for an end muffler of a motor vehicle such that a simple and rapidly releasable linkage of an end pipe to the end muffler is ensured and fastening takes place so as to largely avoid heat conduction from the end muffler housing to the end pipe, thereby preventing tarnishing of the end pipe which would be visible toward the outside.
An end muffler housing, furthermore, is to be provided with fastening devices by which the mountable discharge pipe according to the invention can be fastened on the end muffler housing.
The object of the invention referred to above, and others, may be achieved by a mountable discharge pipe for an end muffler of a motor vehicle having devices for fastening the discharge pipe to an end muffler housing including a hook provided on the discharge pipe. The hook can be suspended at the end muffler housing. A holding lug provided with an opening is arranged at the discharge pipe, and the holding lug can be fastened by way of a nut-bolt connection on the end muffler housing. According to another aspect of the invention, an end muffler for a motor vehicle includes a housing, which has at least one inlet-side opening and at least one outlet-side opening, and a mountable discharge pipe such as that mentioned above at the outlet-side opening. The housing has two half shells which are connected with one another by way of beaded edges, and, on a side of the housing facing the discharge pipe, a lug, which has an opening, is provided. The lug is connected by way of the nut-bolt connection with the holding lug arranged at the discharge pipe.
A discharge pipe, provided with a hook, can be hooked, in a simple manner at a suitable point, into the end muffler housing, and can be secured by a lug provided on the underside of the discharge pipe by way of a nut-bolt connection at the end muffler housing. As a result of this fastening method, the discharge pipe itself is not directly connected with the end muffler housing, so that heat conduction from the end muffler housing to the discharge pipe is largely prevented.
Additional advantageous further features of the mountable discharge pipe according to the invention are reflected in certain claims. A discharge pipe mounting process is also claimed.
The hook provided for fastening the discharge pipe and the lug provided with an opening are advantageously made of a one-piece sheet metal strip which is fastened between two individual pipes of the discharge pipe. Such a strip may, for example, be welded to single spots.
When the discharge pipe is mounted to an end muffler housing, it is particularly advantageous for a nut corresponding to the opening in the lug to be welded or soldered onto the lug.
The housing of an end muffler provided for fastening the discharge pipe has two half shells forming a beaded edge on which the hook provided on the discharge pipe can advantageously be hooked in. The end muffler housing also has a lug provided with an opening. This lug is connected by way of a nut-bolt connection with the lug provided on the discharge pipe.
The housing of the end muffler is provided with two discharge openings, each of which is surrounded by a collar. For exhaust-gas-side linkage of the discharge openings to the end pipe provided with two individual pipes, exhaust pipes of the end muffler fastened in the collar engage in the two individual pipes. The diameter of the exhaust gas pipes fastened in the collar is smaller than the diameter of the individual pipes, so that a direct thermal linkage of the end muffler housing to the discharge pipe is prevented.
The invention will be explained in detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the figures.